Request-to-send/clear-to-send enabled power saving and off-channel operations

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. An access point (AP) may direct stations (STAs) to use a request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) mode so the AP may perform power savings and off-channel operations without disrupting the communications of nearby devices. In some cases, the AP may use traffic conditions to identify a power save period and subsequently transmit an indication of an RTS/CTS mode to multiple STAs. In one example, the AP may power down at least one radio frequency (RF) chain and enter into a sleep mode. Additionally or alternatively, during the power save period the AP may receive an RTS from a STA and power up additional radio chains for MIMO communication. In some cases, the AP may identify an off-channel operations period based on traffic conditions and perform the off-channel operations after indicating the RTS/CTS mode to a set of STAs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of wireless communication comprising:
 identifying, by an access point (AP), a power save period based at least in part on a traffic condition;   transmitting, from the AP, an indication of a request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) mode for the power save period; and   powering down at least one radio chain during the power save period based at least in part on the RTS/CTS mode.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein powering down the at least one radio chain comprises:
 powering down each radio chain of a device according to a sleep mode configuration.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein powering down the at least one radio chain comprises:
 powering down all power-collapsible hardware components, radio frequency (RF) components, and medium access control (MAC) components of a device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating, during the power save period, using an additional radio chain, wherein the at least one radio chain and the additional radio chain comprise different radio chains of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving an RTS message from a station during the power save period according to the RTS/CTS mode;   identifying a number of radio chains for MIMO communications with the station based at least in part on the RTS message; and   powering up one or more radio chains for the MIMO communications based at least in part on identified number of radio chains.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that a traffic metric for stations within a basic service set (BSS) is less than a threshold, wherein the power save period is identified based at least in part on the determination that the traffic metric is less than the threshold.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication directs stations within a basic service set (BSS) to utilize the RTS/CTS mode during the power save period. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power save period is identified based at least in part on a roaming trigger parameter for a station. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the indication of the RTS/CTS mode comprises:
 setting an RTS/CTS packet size threshold to zero.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the indication of the RTS/CTS mode comprises:
 setting a protection bit in one or more management frames to indicate the RTS/CTS mode.   
     
     
         11 . A method of wireless communication comprising:
 identifying an off-channel operations period;   transmitting an indication of a request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) mode for the off-channel operations period, wherein the indication is transmitted on a first channel; and   performing off-channel operations on a second channel during the off-channel operations period based at least in part on the RTS/CTS mode.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the off-channel operations comprise a component of a multi-channel concurrency operation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the indication directs all stations within a basic service set (BSS) to utilize the RTS/CTS mode during the off-channel operations period. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the off-channel operations period is identified based at least in part on a roaming trigger parameter for a station. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein transmitting the indication of the RTS/CTS mode comprises:
 setting an RTS/CTS packet size threshold to zero.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein transmitting the indication of the RTS/CTS mode comprises:
 setting a protection bit in one or more management frames to indicate the RTS/CTS mode.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
 a processor;   memory in electronic communication with the processor; and   instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:
 identify, by an access point (AP), a power save period based at least in part on a traffic condition; 
 transmit, from the AP, an indication of a request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) mode for the power save period; and 
 power down at least one radio chain during the power save period based at least in part on the RTS/CTS mode. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions operable to cause the processor to power down the at least one radio chain are operable to cause the processor to:
 power down each radio chain of a device according to a sleep mode configuration.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions operable to cause the processor to power down the at least one radio chain are operable to cause the processor to:
 power down all power-collapsible hardware components, radio frequency (RF) components, and medium access control (MAC) components of a device.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are operable to cause the processor to:
 communicate, during the power save period, using an additional radio chain, wherein the at least one radio chain and the additional radio chain comprise different radio chains of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions are operable to cause the processor to:
 receive an RTS message from a station during the power save period according to the RTS/CTS mode;   identify a number of radio chains for MIMO communications with the station based at least in part on the RTS message; and   power up one or more radio chains for the MIMO communications based at least in part on identified number of radio chains.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are operable to cause the processor to:
 determine that a traffic metric for stations within a basic service set (BSS) is less than a threshold, wherein the power save period is identified based at least in part on the determination that the traffic metric is less than the threshold.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the indication directs stations within a basic service set (BSS) to utilize the RTS/CTS mode during the power save period. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the power save period is identified based at least in part on a roaming trigger parameter for a station. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions operable to cause the processor to transmit the indication of the RTS/CTS mode are operable to cause the processor to:
 set an RTS/CTS packet size threshold to zero.   
     
     
         26 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
 a processor;   memory in electronic communication with the processor; and   instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:   identify an off-channel operations period;   transmit an indication of a request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) mode for the off-channel operations period, wherein the indication is transmitted on a first channel; and   perform off-channel operations on a second channel during the off-channel operations period based at least in part on the RTS/CTS mode.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the off-channel operations comprise a component of a multi-channel concurrency operation. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the indication directs all stations within a basic service set (BSS) to utilize the RTS/CTS mode during the off-channel operations period. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the off-channel operations period is identified based at least in part on a roaming trigger parameter for a station. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the instructions operable to cause the processor to transmit the indication of the RTS/CTS mode are operable to cause the processor to:
 set an RTS/CTS packet size threshold to zero.